Topic 19 Outline

Part II | Outline

Category D | Human Rights

Topic 19 | Human dignity for everyone everywhere

“Human dignity for everyone everywhere” highlights the universal value of human dignity as a cornerstone principle in advancing and safeguarding the rights and well-being of individuals worldwide. Article 1 of the Punta del Este Declaration on Human Dignity for Everyone Everywhere begins, “The inherent human dignity of all people and the importance of respecting, promoting, and protecting human dignity for everyone everywhere is the foundational principle and the key objective or goal of human rights, as well as an invaluable criterion for evaluating laws, policies, and government actions for how well they accord with human rights standards.” The protection of human dignity for everyone everywhere necessarily includes protections for freedom of religion or belief.

Foundational concepts

Human dignity is an intrinsic and universal characteristic of all the earth’s inhabitants and is deeply constitutive of what it means to be human. We are unequal in a variety of ways—for example, in physical abilities, material wealth, or intellectual capacities. But there is a fundamental way in which we are all equal and interconnected: in dignity and rights.

People from disparate backgrounds and with diverse worldviews may differ in their understandings of the precise definition and source of human dignity, but its essential meaning is widely understood as the inherent, unalienable worth of the individual that should be respected by all human beings and in all human beings.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the relationship between human dignity, rights, freedom, and equality. If there is any prospect of human rights being accepted as universal it will most likely be based on these principles, as articulated in the UDHR’s Article 1: “[a]ll human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

Punta del Este Declaration on Human Dignity for Everyone Everywhere

The Punta del Este Declaration (2018) was drafted to celebrate human dignity as the core of all human rights and to reiterate the need to protect if “for everyone everywhere.” This latter phrase emphasizes that dignity is “not just for me but for thee.” In that sense, it makes “clear that rights are characterized by reciprocity and involve corresponding duties”—for individuals, societal entities, and states alike.

The Punta del Este Declaration describes human dignity as the foundation and goal of human rights and proposes human dignity as a criterion for assessing states’ performance in their duties relative to human rights.

Human dignity and religious freedom: Dignitatis Humanae

The Vatican II declaration Dignitatis Humanae (1965) is a powerful articulation of Catholic justifications for human dignity as the foundational principle on which the right to religious freedom is grounded. The declaration states that our human dignity actually requires us to have religious freedom, which includes not only the right to choose in matters of religion but also the duty to pursue and follow truth “in a manner proper to the dignity of the human person.”

Distinguishing human dignity and autonomy

Human dignity extends beyond individual autonomy. Autonomy, in effect, is a tool within the broader framework of human dignity. Human dignity acts as guiding principle, ensuring that the exercise of autonomy aligns with broader ethical considerations and societal values.

Potential dangers. While human dignity is a widely recognized, powerful concept, there are some contexts in which it may be misapplied and/or misunderstood.

Politicization or weaponization of human dignity. Like other broad values, human dignity may be instrumentalized or even weaponized as a rhetorical tool to further particular “rights causes,” potentially fostering division and dismissing the dignity of “opponents.” Advocates must approach their missions with sensitivity, acknowledging the multifaceted nature of human dignity and the imperative to foster collective understandings that transcend partisan divides.

Cultural relativism in defining and interpreting human dignity. Cultural relativism contends there is no absolute standard for evaluating cultural practices, including those related to human dignity, as each culture possesses its own set of norms and values. It is crucial to strike a balance between respecting cultural diversity and upholding a universal commitment to human dignity, ensuring that the concept remains a unifying force rather than a divisive one.

Translating the concept of human dignity into tangible actions and policies. Implementing policies that genuinely uphold human dignity requires navigating intricate sociopolitical landscapes, where competing interests, resource constraints, and bureaucratic hurdles often impede effective action. Key to overcoming these obstacles are incorporating human dignity as a guiding principle in comprehensive legal and institutional reforms, and bridging implementation gaps through education and awareness campaigns.

Strategies for promoting human dignity. In response to the above dangers, strategies such as the following can promote human dignity.

Education and awareness: Prioritizing education and awareness initiatives through community education/engagement activities, formal education curricula, collaborations with religious institutions, and technology and social media platforms.

Legal reforms and reinforcement: Rallying broad coalitions of stakeholders to advocate for legal reforms that promote human dignity; and declaring commitments to human dignity through joint statements, charters, declarations.

International collaboration: Forming collaborative frameworks (forums, conferences, diplomatic initiatives), exchanging best practices, enabling cross-border education and awareness initiatives, engaging in joint diplomatic efforts, and creating transnational institutions dedicated to upholding human dignity.